The Day Tony Played Hooky, or When Neal Met Jack
By Peppe1951
Summary: It's Tony and Neal again and in trouble once again. Warning: Disciplining of an adult. Don't like? Don't read! Disclaimer: While Collar belongs to USA and NCIS belongs to CBS.
A/N: Jenny Shepherd is still the director of NCIS…Vance doesn't exist in my universe.
Chapter 1
"Leroy," greeted Jackson Gibbs, "I understand that you are busy, but this will only take a second," he added as he drove down the road.
"What do you want Dad?" asked Gibbs impatiently.
"Is there any reason that Tony isn't there with you?"
"DiNozzo! Is he there with you?" Gibbs replied quickly. He had been searching for Tony for the last few hours and was quickly getting worried. It hadn't helped any when his ID had been found at the scene of an incident at the FBI headquarters in New York City by Agent Peter Burke, of the White Collar Division earlier that day.
"Well, no not at the present; but he is walking down the road with another man, a younger man. They seem to be walking from the bus depot to Stillwater. I thought I would pick them up but thought to call first and see what trouble Tony is in," replied the older man.
"He's in enough trouble as is the man with him; the person with Tony is a Neal Caffrey and he has been missing, too. If you will pick them up and keep them with you we'll be right over to pick them up," promised Gibbs.
"We'll…who's coming with you son?" asked Jackson.
"Agent Peter Burke, he's Caffrey's handler," replied Gibbs and knowing that his dad would ask added, "Caffrey is an ex-con who has been released from prison by serving the rest of his sentence as an consultant for the White Collar Division of the FBI…he's a con artist, one of the best. Make sure he doesn't try to con you into believing his lies."
"Oh, don't worry about that son, you know how I treat liars…a trip to the woodshed will stop his lies and make sure that he doesn't try that again….do I have your permission to discipline him like I do Tony?" the older man asked quickly.
"Wait and I'll let you ask Agent Burke," Gibbs replied as he handed his cell to Burke.
"My father has a question to ask you," was all Gibbs told him before Peter put the cell to his ear. Gibbs watched as the facial expression changed from one of worry to a smirk before he answered with a firm, "yes…please use any means you feel necessary on him…just consider him a grandson that needs disciplining as much as Tony and if he gives you any trouble tell that I gave you permission to discipline however you like," before handling the phone back to Gibbs.
"That should be a rude awakening for Neal," Peter remarked after Gibbs hung up.
"Yeah, but it will be one they both deserve. Don't worry they will be in good hands with my Dad."
(Earlier in the day at NCIS)
"Bored…bored…bored," thought Tony as he picked up the next cold case to look over. "If I have to read one more loser case I'm going to go crazy." Now Tony didn't want his boredom to end due to some naval personnel or Marine to lose his life but he was so tired of reading cold cases…they hadn't had a real case in weeks and the inactivity was starting to wear thin on him. It was then when he was so vulnerable and that the idea of playing hooky came to him. He would have to invent some need to leave the office and preferable while Gibbs wasn't here to interrogate him as to why he wanted to leave.
Tony looked around and quietly got up on the pretense on going to the head, but in reality he was checking to see if his boss, Jethro Gibbs was about…and at the moment he was in MTAC looking for some case that would relieve the boredom he felt as well.
Tony remembered one other time when Tim had faked an illness while helping his sister Sarah with her own problems; he had told Jenny Shepherd that he hadn't felt good and felt that he must have caught whatever Tim had and she had given her permission for him to leave. He never heard any repercussions from that 'little white lie' and thought to try it again. He knew he could convince Jenny again but would have to wait until Gibbs wasn't around. The perfect time would have to be while he was on one of his coffee runs and he waited for that to occur.
Tony didn't have to wait for long before those most welcomed words of "going for coffee" erupted from Gibbs mouth and Tony's plan of action began. As soon as the elevator doors closed Tony sprung from his chair and made his way up the stairs to the director's office leaving McGee and Ziva to stare with puzzlement after him. He was gone only a few minutes before hurrying back and gathering his gear for preparation of leaving.
"Where are you going?" asked Tim.
"Home…I don't feel all that good. The director has given me permission to leave and not to return until I'm feeling better," replied Tony as he tried to keep the glee from his voice.
"You didn't act like you were sick before," remarked Ziva with a frown, "why didn't you just ask Gibbs before he left if you could go home," and then as the clues fell in place and she replied to her own question, "because you knew he would say NO! You are faking it and I don't want any part of this scheme of yours," and with that she turned back to her case file.
Tony looked at his team mates with a frown before leaving; he would just have to worry about the repercussions later…but for now he was free. Tony took the stairs to leave not wanting to run into Gibbs accidentally on the elevator.
Upon returning with his coffee and noticing Tony absent from his desk he asked, "Where's DiNozzo?"
Tim and Ziva exchanged a glance before Tim reluctantly replied, "He said he wasn't feeling good and asked the director it he could leave; apparently she said yes and he left. You just missed him," he added as he watched the expression change on Gibbs face.
"He wasn't feeling good?"
Tim and then Ziva nodded.
"He didn't look that way earlier…he looked bored," remarked Gibbs angrily. "He conned Jenny into letting him go home like he did earlier when you called in with an apparent laryngitis. I didn't punish him for that lie and now he's done it again…well this time he won't be getting away with it."
5